Magnetic layering for bit-patterned stack

A system comprising:

• a non-magnetic substrate;
• a soft magnetic under-layer overlaying the substrate with anti-ferromagnetically coupled magnetic sub-layers;
• a perpendicular magnetic recording layer comprising a plurality of bit-patterned magnetic features, each of the magnetic features overlaying the soft magnetic under-layer and each feature comprising a first magnetic sub-layer adjacent a second magnetic sub-layer, the recording layer further comprising a continuous third magnetic sub-layer overlaying the magnetic features to connect each of the magnetic features;
• and
• a non-magnetic material layer deposited between each of the magnetic features;
• wherein the first sub-layer of each of the magnetic features of the perpendicular magnetic recording layer has a magnetic anisotropy that is preconfigured to be consistently greater than a magnetic anisotropy of the second sub-layer of each of the magnetic features, and
• wherein the second sub-layer of each of the magnetic features is configured for perpendicular magnetic recording;
• and
• wherein the magnetic anisotropy of the second sub-layer of each of the plurality of magnetic features varies across a thickness of the second sub-layer from a maximum to a minimum and the minimum magnetic anisotropy of the second sub-layer of each of the magnetic features is greater than a magnetic anisotropy of the continuous third sub-layer of the perpendicular magnetic recording layer, and wherein the first sub-layer of each of the magnetic features of the perpendicular magnetic recording layer overlays the corresponding second sub-layer of each of the magnetic features.